


Polaroids

by lokilenchen



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Fluff, Leaving The Enterprise, M/M, Old Married Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 22:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30129477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokilenchen/pseuds/lokilenchen
Summary: After over thirty years in space Jim and Leonard are leaving the Enterprise. While packing their stuff together Leonard finds a little box with Polaroids.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	Polaroids

It’s the end of their sixth more or less successful five year mission. They are both already in their sixties, over thirty years in space, Leonard is still surprised they have survived that long. They have seen the universe, met new lifeforms and formed friendships that will last for the rest of their lives.

Now though they won’t go for another five years. Leonard would have agreed to take another mission and Jim knows that, knows that Leonard would follow him everywhere. Still his husband made the decision that they’ve lived enough of his dream, so now it’s time to go where Leonard wants to go, it’s time to leave the Enterprise, their home for the past thirty years. 

The house in San Francisco is already bought. Jim is going to be an instructor at Starfleet Academy, while Leonard will be head of Starfleet Medical, he will be able to do the research he has wanted to do for so long now. 

Even if he’s excited to start this new chapter of their life together, it is strange to pack these last thirty years into boxes. It feels like reducing this large part of their life to something of no importance. 

While Jim is still on the bridge, cherishing every minute of his last few days as Captain of the Enterprise, Leonard has started to clear out their closet to make packing easier later on. That’s where he finds it, under a large pile of Jim’s off duty clothes, a small black box which has memories scribbled on the lid, clearly in Jim’s handwriting. He sits down and opens the box. Inside the doctor finds a bunch of Polaroids. 

Leonard still remembers it as if it was yesterday that Jim showed up with the old Polaroid camera. It was during the first five year mission when they were on shore leave on earth. Jim took pictures of everyone and everything, trying to capture each and every moment to make them last forever. There are pictures in the box of the crew, the food, the beach, the people around them, but on most of them you can see Leonard or Jim and Leonard together.

Thinking back, Leonard knows he tried to act annoyed, but it had no use, not with Jim around, that’s why he’s smiling a small content smile on each and every picture. 

A strong wave of emotions washes over him that brings tears to his eyes, all these memories connected with the Polaroids, all the little notes Jim has written on the frames, which are already turning yellow at the edges.

He’s so caught up in the picture he’s currently looking at that he doesn’t realize Jim has entered their shared quarters until he feels his husband’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Found something interesting, Bones?” Jim's tone is light as if he could hurt Leonard if he asks too loud. 

And even if the answer to Jim’s question is easy, it’s just a bunch of pictures after all, it still feels like too much effort to get the words past his lips, to tell Jim he found the memories. So he just continues to stare at the picture that shows the both of them smiling happily, shoulders touching; it makes him feel lost, lost in a bubble of space and time. But it’s always been Jim’s specialty to bring Leonard back to himself, the sun that keeps Leonard in a safe orbit. So the younger man’s voice and presence is enough to bring Leonard’s focus back.

“Hey Bones, you alright?” Jim asks softly, sitting down on the floor next to his husband.

It takes a few minutes but this time Leonard does answer, “I’m fine, a little sentimental, but fine. It’s just-,” the older man pauses. 

“The memories,” Jim finishes the sentence and Leonard nods. Carefully taking the Polaroid out of Leonard‘s hand, he runs thumb over the image of their younger selves, “God Bones, we were so young, now look at us.” 

“You’re still an infant,” Leonard chuckles and sees the answering twitch in the corner of Jim’s mouth.

“Say that to all my gray hair and wrinkles,” Jim replies, a full smile now on his lips, making the wrinkles more present, wrinkles that Leonard loves, wrinkles that show what a man Jim Kirk has become over the course of the last thirty years. 

“Jim Kirk, you’re still as beautiful now as you were back then. No, forget that you’re even more beautiful now. I wouldn’t want you any other way,” Leonard says, running his hand lovingly through Jim’s hair and over his face, before stopping at the crook of his neck.

“And so are you, Bones. The most beautiful man I ever met,” Jim answers, tenderly wiping away the last of Leonard‘s tears. “ I love you, Leonard McCoy, I’m happy I can spend the rest of my life by your side.”

“Love you, too. Can’t wait for the rest of our forever together.” 

They then close the distance between them to seal their lips in a passionate kiss. Awareness narrows down to the feeling of each other’s lips, taking in sensations they long know, but still feel exciting and new like the first time they kissed all those years ago. Breathing almost becomes an option, so they kiss until the lungs burn. 

Upon breaking the kiss Jim leans forwards, digging through a few more piles of clothes to reveal the old camera matching the photos in front of them. Pulling Leonard into his side, Jim stretches out his arm with the camera in hand, “Another wonderful memory to add to our box.”

**Author's Note:**

> I made a little drawing of one of the Polaroids on [tumblr](https://lokilenchen.tumblr.com/post/645951605798289408/we-capture-this-moment-so-it-can-last-forever) if you’d like to take a look.  
> Hope y’all enjoyed this little story of mine.


End file.
